Takeaways

  • Starting 12.15.25, all H‑1B visa applicants and their H‑4 dependents must make their social‑media profiles public.
  • Consular officers will scrutinize social-media activity, resumes and online work history.
  • Employers sponsoring H-1B workers should anticipate possible delays, administrative processing or denials, especially for roles in tech, social media or other sensitive content-related fields.

Expansion of Online

Takeaways

  • The launch of Project Firewall signals the current administration’s tougher, more restrictive stance on high-skilled immigration.
  • Key aspects of the enforcement initiative include increased investigations, interagency coordination, greater employer accountability and intent to protect American workers.
  • Employers should review their H-1B policies and practices now.

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently launched

Takeaways

  • The Trump Administration will review all green cards issued to individuals from 19 “countries of concern.”
  • The DHS has indefinitely stopped processing Afghan-related immigration requests.
  • President Trump stated his goal is to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joe Edlow recently announced a realignment of

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Oct. 29, 2025, it is ending the practice of USCIS automatically extending validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) of foreign nationals who have timely filed filing renewal applications in certain employment authorization categories. Such foreign nationals will need a formal approval of their renewal application and receipt

USCIS has released guidance on President Donald Trump’s Sept. 19, 2025, Presidential Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” introducing a new $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B nonimmigrant visa petitions.

USCIS on Oct. 20, 2025, issued guidance clarifying which petitions are subject to the Proclamation’s new requirements, how and when the $100,000 payment

Without notice, E-Verify appeared back online late on the evening of Oct. 7, 2025. As of 2:00 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 8, 2025, E-Verify is still online and appears fully operable. Employers can resume submitting cases.

The E-Verify website had gone dark on Oct. 1, as expected, due to the federal government shutdown. Visitors to

The Department of Homeland Security had announced on Jan. 26, 2024, an 18-month extension and redesignation of Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) expiring on March 31, 2024, Sept. 30, 2022, or March 31, 2021, were automatically extended through March 31, 2025.

Now, USCIS updated its website on Sept. 22, 2025

On Sept. 19, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” (the “Proclamation”). The Proclamation requires employers to pay a $100,000 fee with any new H-1B petition for foreign workers outside the United States, effective Sept. 21, 2025. The stated purpose is to address perceived misuse of the

The current government funding expired at the end of the fiscal year without a continuing resolution, resulting in a government shutdown. A federal government shutdown can create ripple effects across immigration processes, but the impact varies depending on the agency.

Since USCIS is fee-funded, most operations — like processing petitions and applications — continue as

Proclamation “Restriction On Entry Of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” released on Sept. 19, 2025 (the “Proclamation”), directs the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reform prevailing wage leveling and change the H-1B registration to a weighted selection format.

Specifically, the Proclamation’s Section 4, “Amending the Prevailing Wage Levels,” includes the following